Shin no Tobira
by Greece
Summary: Kougaiji, Yaone and Dokugaku cast a spell to revive Rasetsunyo. Unfortunately, it fails and they're buchered. Lirin begins a long journey to resurrect them. A Lirin centred story. EDITED and UPDATED, CH 6!
1. Introduction, Old Stories

Hello! First story ever, so... just tell me if it sucks, okay? In this story, you won't see Sanzo-ikku for a long time. I'm just fed up with all this thing about Sanzo-ikku! Now, don't get me wrong, I AM a Sanzo-ikku fan and a BIG _SANZO_ fan, but I believe that there are more characters in Saiyuki and I'm centered on Lirin. Why? Simply because it's different! Let's see what the kitten can do when things get awful! 'Shin no Tobira' means The Door of Death, btw!

Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki.Which sucks!

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SHIN NO TOBIRA

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**_Introduction-Old Stories_**

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**"It was a time of chaos when heaven and earth were as one…**

**  
…and humans and demons -the youkai- lived together in peace. The foundations of civilization and religion were raised and reinforced in this ****land**** of ****Togenkyo****…" **

"'…the paradise known as Shangri-La', yeah, yeah. All this bullshit is old news. Anything new?''

**"It became necessary for four heroes to travel…" **

"…ah shut it! Aren't you bored hearing about this freaking, endless journey to the West? It's annoying! It's been fourteen years and they're still on the way! SO annoying!"

She was mad. The young, blond Kami was standing next to a pool of boiling water and she was mad. A throbbing vein appeared next to her mouth. The peaceful Heavens were perfect: no crime, no death, no unfair actions… the peaceful Heavens were _boring_.

Especially for her.

"Shangri-La has a million-lifetime history. Knowing only that incident from five hundred years ago with Son Goku is—at the least—shameful! I'm not saying it's not important, but…"

She exploded.

"THERE ARE FAR COOLER THINGS, DAMMIT!"

"Relax!" A male voice came from behind her.

"Okay, okay. All those aside, let's follow another group, 'k? A group which shall take us throughout the legends of Shangri-La."

"The only problem is that this group doesn't exist yet, isn't it?" the male voice again.

"That's right! So, we're gonna start the story from the very beginning! That's why it's totally pointless for you to wonder who we are or what we're talking about. What's REALLY going on, darlings, is something that started…"

"...Five thousand years ago!"

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Okay! Small, I know, but this is just the introduction. My next chapters will be longer, I promise! If you didn't get one thing, it's allright! As to who is talking and what on earth they're talking about is to be revealed within the story! Just drop a line saying: 'Hey, I'm here and I'm waiting!" I promise this story won't dissapoint you! This intro WILL have some connection to the story, don't worry! (Hey, that ryhmes :P) 

At any rate I BEG YOU ON THE KNEES, REVIEW!

Ja ne!

Greece out!


	2. The Beginning of the Ending, Horror

And here comes the original story! Any Kougaiji fans out there... beware!

Disclaimer: Any Saiyuki references copyright Kazuya Minekura. Unfortunately. Oh, and the songs are from Hikaru no Go and Naruto. Consider them as the 'Opening' and the 'Ending' of the story. Don't laugh! I'm serious!

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_**Kono me kimi no me ni  
utsuru donna MONO mo  
mikiwamete miseru yo shinjitsu o**_

_**Bokutachi wa kono jidai ni dore dake no yume kakaete  
namida shite mayoinagara  
sore ni kakete miteru no?**_

_**Boku wa sore demo hito ni hiketoranu you na  
kimete mitsuke yume o te ni suru darou.**_

_**Kono me kimi no me ni  
utsuru donna MONO mo  
mikiwamete miseru yo  
shinjitsu dake**_

_**Tatoe genjitsu ga  
kitsuku umoresou demo.  
Konna basho de owaru  
boku janai.**

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**_Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End. –Horror._**

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**

The wind was howling, bringing clouds full of rain.

Endless, vacant stone jutted sharply from every patch of land.

The birds of Death himself—the crows—surrounded the area.

And inside a gigantic, stone claw of earth, there it was.

Houtou castle.

A horrible place for anyone to be. Not only because of the inhospitable surroundings. These were taken for granted to be as such. It was, mostly, because of the things that took place within it.

The forbidden act. The combination of youkai magic with human science. The result was the Minus Wave, a negative energy that turned all the youkai in Shangri-La into man-eating, monstrous demons. Without mind. Without logic. Without senses.

The two persons who were responsible for this disaster were in a room called the "Regulation Room".

One was a middle-aged man with short black hair, narrow eyes, and a light beard.

Ni Jianyi.

The other was a juicy youkai woman, still unaffected by the Minus Wave. Maybe she never would be.

Gyokumen Koushu.

They were half-naked, just done with their "business". There was a flare that illuminated everything inside the room and then darkness again. Gyokumen spoke first:

"It's going to rain." She was wearing her loose kimono.

"Yes. It's amazing how things get reversed. Even the blessings from the rain." He put on his white robe.

"So this is further proof of your saying that 'nothing is true', am I right?" She watched him take up his glasses with her arms crossed in front of her rich breasts.

"You're always right." He put his glasses on. "Like about his powerlessness." They glowed.

* * *

In a dark corridor of the second basement of Houtou castle, steps sounded and a light appeared. A young youkai man walked through the corridor holding a torch. He had long, red hair, and tanned skin with three red marks on his left cheek. His lavender eyes glimmered with worry in the light of the torch.

Kougaiji.

He was walking towards a very special room. He reached the front of a huge door and stared at it.

He stared.

And stared.

And stared.

Steps were heard again from the same direction he had come. He turned and took a battle stance in case it was an enemy. It was the sound of tall heels. Soon, the newcomer appeared.

It was a young youkai woman with long raven hair up in a ponytail which split in half at the tie, and blinked large, grey eyes. She was wearing a tight blue suit and a short yellow kimono, open in front of her breasts. The torch in her hand lit her path.

Yaone.

Once she saw Kougaiji, she smiled.

"You came very early, Kougaiji-sama." She bowed.

"I wanted to make sure that no one discovered our project. What about you, Yaone? You came early, too."

Yaone looked down. "I wanted to do the same…"

"Where is Dokugaku?" He asked, wanting to avoid the uncomfortable silence.

"He's probably finishing the job with lady Lirin. Err… Kougaiji-sama?" She struggled to say the following: "Is it really necessary to lock her inside her room?"

Kougaiji sighed, "Yes, it is. It's too dangerous for her, you know this. The spell 'Shin no Tobira' is forbidden for it requires huge amounts of chi. If the ones who cast it do not have it, death is certain." He wasn't looking at her while he was talking.

"And…we do? I mean all the three of us…we _do_?"

"I've spent all of three weeks searching for the 'Shin no Tobira' and I believe we do. Don't you trust me Yaone?" he wouldn't be angry or bothered if she did, but Yaone gasped.

"NO! No, my lord, that's not it! I would follow you everywhere, you know that! It's just…" she hesitated.

"…you're worried about our lives, right?" he finished for her.

Yaone couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell him that she was worried more about _his _life.

"It's all right, Yaone. I'm worried, too."

"…" She had no answer.

Suddenly, there were more steps from the same direction, only these steps were staggered, as though the one who was walking couldn't walk properly.

"Ouch, ouch, ah, damn…" Whoever it was moaned in pain. Kougaiji and Yaone lifted their torches towards that direction. They saw a very tall and very muscular youkai man. He had short black hair and red marks on his nose and forehead.

Dokugakuji.

"What happened, Dokugaku?" asked Kougaiji while Yaone ran to support him.

"Screw it, Kou! When Lirin realized that I was trying to lock her inside her room, she bit me!"

"Are you all right?" Asked Yaone as she put his arm around her shoulders to help him stand.

"She bit my leg, how does that sound?" Kougaiji and Yaone sweated. "Hey, Kou, was that really necessary? My leg could have been spared!"

Kougaiji sighed.

"Yes, it was. I don't want her around. It's too risky." Both Yaone and he were worried.

Dokugaku left Yaone and scratched Kougaiji's head. "Hey! Lighten up, skinny! We're with you, no matter what—I told you!" he said with a large grin.

"Do what your heart tells you, Kougaiji-sama. We'll follow you!" said Yaone.

Kougaiji looked each one of them. They had gone too far to go back. He nodded and laid his hands on the huge door. It opened with a creak.

Inside the room was one thing. On the opposite side, in a wall, among ropes and seals, there she was.

Rasetsunyo.

Kougaiji's one and only true mother.

Right beneath her feet, there was a large piece of fabric, hiding something. Kougaiji stood in front of it. Yaone and Dokugaku took their own places to the right and left of him. He took a deep breath and let it go out slowly. 'Mother… soon you'll be free. Whatever it takes.'

"So… let's start!"

He took the fabric away, revealing what was beneath it.

* * *

"OI! OI OI OI OI OI OI OI! LET ME OUT! OI!" She pounded her door with her strong little fists. She was mad. The tanned little blond youkai girl was mad. She also had two red marks on her right cheek. Her clothes consisted of a short, white Chinese-like blouse, light green trousers missing the right leg and a black jacket settled below her shoulders.

Lirin.

"Dokugaku! This ain't funny! Open the door!" Lirin was hitting her door for about a quarter of an hour. Since Dokugaku locked her in her room. She thought her situation sucked.

The sound of her hitting the door echoed through the entire corridor where her room was. Someone was walking towards her door. It was Ni with his rabbit.

Once he heard all the noise Lirin was making, he smirked.

"Oh, the kids nowadays. They're making so much noise." He made his way to her door holding his doll so that it seemed like the rabbit was about to open the door.

At the same time, Lirin ran to the other side of her room. 'Okay, here goes nothing!' she thought. She began to run towards her door.

Ni reached her door.

Lirin jumped.

CRAAAAASH!

"YAAAAAAAAHHH!"

The door flew with Ni still behind her and smashed against the corridor wall, with Ni still behind it.

"Kya! Damn! Why the hell did they lock me in! ONIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-CHAAAAAAAAN! WHERE ARE YOU?" And she ran to the elevator, knowing that if there was one place her brother might be, was the room where Rasetsunyo was.

The door, still stuck on the wall, begun to slowly slide down. Revealing a flat Ni.

"What the…?" a female voice was heard. It was a woman with short black hair, wearing a white robe and large glasses before brown eyes.

Hwan.

"Hmph… serves you well, pervert." she began to walk away, but stopped suddenly. 'Wait! Could this mean…?'

* * *

Kougaiji had revealed what was below the fabric. A huge crest in the shape of a pentagram inside a circle, with kanji all around. He was standing to the one of the edges, while Yaone and Dokugaku were in front of the other two. Right between the other two was Rasetsunyo.

Kougaiji started chanting.

" Om no kya ta rei ya watsu…" and so on. (A/N: You really don't expect me to write down the whole mantra here! I mean, who knows who's going to see my fic!) Slowly, the pentagram began to glow with a golden light. An aura started to rise, making their hair and clothes fly. At that moment, all the three of them crouched down onto the circle.

"…rutsu nai EN!" Kougaiji ended the mantra. From the middle of the pentagram a huge ray of golden light, brighter than the rest of the pentagram, rose up, like a door had been opened. Kougaiji's eyes glimmered.

* * *

'Ding!'

The elevator reached the second basement and the door opened. Lirin got out.

"Onii-chan? Are you here?" then she saw the golden light coming from the opened door.

* * *

The wind was blowing madly now. From the ray poured thousands of tiny stars. Kougaiji and the others were smiling in excitement. Things were going well.

And then, everything changed.

**_'DONG!'_**

It was like a gigantic gong had sounded, echoing through the room.

The golden light became red.

"What…?" Dokugaku was confused.

"What's going on?" Yaone was anxious.

But Kougaiji was terrified. He knew what was happening.

* * *

"Huh?" Lirin was running towards the door when she saw the golden light turn red.

She was running as fast as she could.

* * *

**"SHIT! GO AWAY! NOW!"** Yelled Kougaiji to the others. They began to take their hands away from the circle.

She reached the door.

The red ray changed direction and led towards them.

She saw inside.

No sound.

Just blood.

From her brother's chest.

From her sister's heart.

From her oldest brother's head.

The blood dancing in the air, in front of her eyes.

Her pupils just a thin sliver.

Her scream was covered by the sound of the lightning.

_"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

And it began to rain.

* * *

In the darkness, eyes opened. Thin, large eyes bleeding red light from their pupils. In the darkness of a gigantic cage they opened. In the darkness of the being's gigantic cage they opened onto a different world. In this world, deep inside Gyumaoh's daughter they opened...

After 5000 years, they were seeing again...

**SHE **was seeing again…

* * *

And it was raining.

It was raining while the funeral was done. And when she was left alone, the rain poured on her.

Right in front of their graves.

Nothing moved.

"Onii-chan… Yaone… Doku…" a whisper without meaning.

To be continued...

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_**Hitotsu hidotsu omoidaseba  
subete wakatte ita ki ga shite ita no ni.**_

_**Iroaseta kotoba wa  
boku no sugu soba ni oite atta.**_

_**Kotae no denai yoru to  
hitohira no nukumori to  
haruka kanata no akogare to  
tada sore dake wo kurikaeshi boku wa ikite iru.**_

_**Kono ryute ni kakaete iru mono  
toki no shizuku.  
Sotto nigishimete wasureta kioku  
Nakushita Kotoba.**_

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Hmm... What will Lirin do now? Let's see! 

Please review!

Greece out!


	3. Hwan's Risk, Hope

Disclaimer: I own Saiyuki only when lawyers don't watch. Unfortunately, they always do. T.T

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**_Chapter 2: Hwan's Risk- Hope_**

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She reached the door. 

The red ray changed direction and led towards them.

She saw inside.

No sound.

Just blood.

From her brother's chest.

From her sister's heart.

From her oldest brother's head.

The blood dancing in the air, in front of her eyes.

Her pupils just a thin sliver.

Her scream was covered by the sound of the lightning.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

And it was raining.

* * *

It was raining after the funeral, and she was left alone, the rain pouring on her.

Right in front of their graves.

Motionless.

"Onii-chan… Yaone… Doku…" a whisper without meaning.

* * *

"I don't like it."

"What?"

"The way it started. I don't like it."

"Maybe you don't like it, but it was necessary," Said the man behind her.

"HEY! Don't act like you don't have a problem with that!" she turned to him in frustration, revealing her characteristics. Her blond hair was down and she had large, shiny blue eyes. On her forehead was a blue oval chakra, and two other triangles adorned her cheeks. She was wearing a low-shouldered white and blue tank top, and the lower half of her body was covered by a long piece of matching fabric. The most spectacular thing on her was that she had a pair of pure white wings flowing from her back.

Kaena.

The Goddess of Light and Life.

She was staring at the man to whom she spoke. He stood between the door to the garden and the window in the wall which encircled the pool of boiling water, hiding in the shadows.

"I didn't say that. But YOU must not forget what happened to Kenji for us to have this started," he shot back.

She turned to the pool. "Yeah, I know. Sacrifice a branch for the sake of the tree. How stupid." She looked to the pool. Right inside was the picture of a little youkai girl, sitting in the rain, in front of three graves.

The graves weren't of equal height or status. The one in the middle was high, full of drawings and kanji. The other two kept even with the soil; they might pass unnoticed.

The youkai girl wasn't showing any signs of leaving, even though the rain poured on her, soaking her to the bone.

Suddenly, the rain stopped, but its song continued all around her. She looked up puzzled and saw a pair of large, round glasses staring at her.

"You…?"

* * *

Right behind the window which overlooked the graves, small glasses were staring from above a psycho smirk with a cigarette in it.

* * *

A cup of hot chocolate was on the table beside Lirin's seat. She hugged her legs to her breasts, her eyes following the person in front of her, who had taken—or maybe dragged—her into the castle and her room.

It was a woman. She had appeared above her, holding an umbrella overhead, protecting the little youkai girl from the falling rain.

It was Hwan.

Lirin was staring at Hwan without speaking, not knowing what to expect from the woman who was always a loyal dog—or rather bitch—to her horrifying mother, Gyokumen Koushu.

"You may drink the chocolate, you know. I haven't put any poison in," said Hwan with a soft expression.

Lirin neither answered nor moved. Hwan sighed. She took a chair and sat in front of her.

"Okay, then. Ask what you want to ask."

Silence for a bit.

"What happened?"

"I'm afraid, lady Lirin, that lord Kougaiji and his followers tried to do something forbidden." Hwan wouldn't look at her as she spoke.

"By who?"

"Eh?" she looked at her.

"Forbidden by who? Mother?" Lirin's stare was tight.

Hwan was surprised. She never thought that the little youkai girl would be like this. She sighed once again, her tone more serious than ever.

"No. Forbidden by nature."

Lirin raised her eyebrows.

"They tried to cast the 'Shin no Tobira' spell."

"Well, well! Isn't it hard to find loyal servants nowadays!"

"So annoying. Make sure she won't spoil our plans."

"Hmm… don't worry. I'll do what I have to do in order to gain my salary."

Ni and Gyokumen were in the 'Regulation Room'.

"The 'Shin no Tobira' spell does what exactly its name says. It opens the door that separates the souls of the living from the ones of the dead. If it's cast correctly, it can bring back to life any person; no matter if there's a body or not. To cast it, a special mark is also needed."

"A mark…?"

All of a sudden, the memories hit her.

She had no idea how she had gotten there.

She fell to her knees, right in front of her family's gory corpses.

Her brother with a pained expression on his face.

Her sister with a surprised one.

While her other brother had no face at all.

As tears started to fill her eyes, a single word came out.

"No…"

Before she was blinded, she saw black lines drawn on the floor.

She had no idea how she had gotten there.

"So… you saw it?"

"Yeah…"

Hwan sighed. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"It's casting is forbidden, for it requires huge amounts of chi. If there isn't enough…" she had a lot of difficulty saying the following.

"…death is certain."

This struck Lirin like lightning. She looked up to Hwan with eyes full of realization.

"…so…that happened?" Her voice was a whisper.

Hwan was uneasy. "In my mind…no."

Lirin gasped silently. "…what?"

"Lord Kougaiji with all his followers had a very large amount of chi. Large enough to cast the spell successfully."

Lirin's eyes widened more.

"What do you mean? It was someone else's fault that this happened? Tell me!" she was almost screaming, standing up. Her voice was cut by Hwan's hand on her mouth.

"Please, lady Lirin, not so loudly! No one knows that I'm with you right now! I say honestly to you… I don't know. I have no idea why they failed. Maybe lord Kougaiji drew the mark wrong," she added thoughtfully.

Lirin escaped from her hand and calmed. Slowly, she sat back on her chair. Normally, she would be curious, fighting to find the truth. But not now.

Hwan looked at Lirin with pity. Suddenly, the little youkai girl started to whimper, but quickly shook her head in denial. Hwan's expression softened. This girl's innocence wasn't smashed.

She reached her slowly, opening her arms.

She hugged her.

Lirin didn't resist.

"You are so strong, aren't you?"

Lirin gave in to her sadness.

* * *

"Wow! Now THAT'S something! I mean, I never expect that from her! And when I was about to go down there and… wow!" Kaena was excited.

"I think you should save your excitement for later. We have company," said the man behind her.

"Hm?" Kaena turned.

From the garden door, footsteps were heard.

* * *

"I guess this doesn't change anything, right?" Said the old youkai man to Ni.

"Guess not."

"This is another proof of your saying that 'nothing is true', am I right?"

Ni laughed to that. "Heh-heh-heh… Ah, this world. Even that saying may be deleted someday."

* * *

Hwan had opened the window so fresh air would come into the room. She stood in front of it, and the wind blew through her brunette hair and white lab coat. She turned to the girl, who was still sitting on the chair with her knees hugged to her chest.

"Hey, Hwan."

"Yes?"

"That door you said… can be opened with another way?"

"I… I honestly don't know. 'Shin no Tobira' is in the youkai magic area. I'm a scientist. Why?"

Lirin gave her a sharp look. Hwan got the picture and sighed.

"Ten years."

"Eh?"

"It's been ten years since the revival started. Do you think that they've been pleasant? I mean, with a perverted psycho, a vacant old man and a total bitch as co-workers? No! They absolutely were NOT!" Hwan's face was burning. These were the words she wanted to say the most, but never dared. "Ten years since they broke into my home, threatening me to work with them, or else!"

"Hee hee hee…" Lirin was giggling.

"Eh?"

"'A total bitch'! That's the best description of my mother I've ever heard! For real!" Lirin's face was beaming.

Hwan's face was covered by her hair, yet a small smile and a light blush were on her face.

A hard cry is necessary if you want to smile again.

"Well, back to your question. I don't have the answer, but…" she approached her, searching for something in her pocket. She left a card on the table where the cup was.

"… the library is the perfect place to search. This is the card that opens the door. You can go there on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, from 5 to 12 PM. That's when it's not used by us scientists."

Lirin stared at the card and then at Hwan.

"Trust me lady Lirin. If there's a way for me to hit those guys, then I'll take it!"

Lirin didn't have second thoughts about that anymore. She took the card and held it like a precious thing. Hwan turned to the door to leave.

"I have to go back, or they'll notice. Good luck, lady Lirin." she opened the door.

"Oi, Hwan!" Lirin called her.

"Hm?" She turned.

"Thanks for the chocolate!" She had a large smile on her face, holding the cup.

"Any time." And she left.

Kaena had a smirk on her face. "Well, well! Something very important must have happened for you to come to my door…

…Kanzeon Bosatsu…"

To be continued…

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Review please! (puppy eyes) 

Greece out!


	4. The Journey Begins, Determination

I couldn't spot my Beta Rei anywhere, so this chapter will suck about grammar again! So sorry! Well, since I haven't heard of her, could anyone PLEASE be my beta here? Still, my chapters from now on will be six thousand long, so think twice! Also, I'll make you edit the previous ones! Whoever wants...

Disclaimer: Do I have to remind to myself in what a situation I am that I don't own Saiyuki? It's awful! The lyrics are from the song 'May It Be' by Enya from the soundtrack of 'The Lord of the Rings'. Anyway, to the story!

* * *

**_Chapter 3: The Journey Begins-Determination._**

* * *

Kaena had a smirk on her face. "Well, well! Something very important must have happened for you to come to my door… 

…Kanzeon Bosatsu!"

The Goddess (A/N: or the God, whatever you like :P) of Love and Mercy was standing there, with her usual outfit: the see-through upper half of her white dress, her long ponytail, barefoot... The unusual thing on her was that her once calm, smiling face was grave—even angry.

"We need to talk." Her tone was serious indeed.

"About what? What's the matter?" Kaena asked cheerfully. Bosatsu sweated.

"Okay, I have a little time. So that's where she had been all these years?" She raised a curious eyebrow.

"Yep! You would never think to search there, right?" She young goddess was VERY happy. On the other hand, the older one wasn't.

"Smart. Very smart, indeed. But…"

".. Eh?"

"You are young. No wonder you helped her survive."

"Oh, yeah, they always say that young ones are more pitiful, right?"

"' …pitiful'? No, I don't think so. You are young, so it's natural for you not to know."

Kaena got serious, too, though she didn't lose her smile. "You know, Kannon, thank goodness for you, things do change! Or else you'd have died from boredom." She glared at her, "Or not?"

"…" Bosatsu was silent for a bit. "Fine. You may do what you want, Kaena. And I'll do what I want." She was about to leave when Kaena's voice made her stop.

"'Fight for the ones you care about and you'll never be alone. This world is ugly enough without you following the wrong path.' Is that right?"

Bosatsu didn't turn. Her expression was hidden by her hair.

Kaena continued. "Oh, come on! If we're not living to die smiling, then why he hell are we? Or do you disagree?" From Kaena's face, one could say that she had touched a soft spot on the hermaphrodite.

Bosatsu left without a reply.

"She worries and she's right, you know," the man behind Kaena spoke.

"Nyaaaa, I don't give a shit! It's my responsibility, after all! So, let's leave Lirin alone for a bit and make the same chocolate Hwan did! It looked yummy!"

He sighed, "You are hopeless…"

Kaena stuck out her tongue. "Of course I am! I'm young, aren't I?"

* * *

The two youkai girls were staring at the third one who was younger than them and eating like crazy. It was Lirin. (A/N: not that you didn't get it :P)

"I thought that after her brother's death she would be down…but looking at her, she doesn't seem even a little upset!" the one whispered to the other.

"Yeah, she maybe didn't love him so much as it looked like. I mean, look at her! She eats like nothing happened!"

Lirin heard that.

"Eh?" the one stared at her while she handed her the plate.

"Lirin wants more!" she said cheerfully. The other two were staring at her, very uncomfortably.

"Err… yes, of course lady Lirin!" they took the plate and hurried to leave.

And Lirin was left alone.

"Lirin doesn't like them. They're bad," she muttered aloud, then thought to herself, _'Lirin loves onii-chan! And Yaone! And Dokugaku! It's just…' _She sighed and let her head fall on the table, propped up on her chin. _'IT'S JUST SEARCHING FOR 7 HOURS IN THE LIBRARY MAKES ME SOOO HUNGRY!'_ she shouted in her mind. _'It's already been two weeks, but I think…'_ She searched in her pocket and took out a small piece of paper. _'… I found something!'_ And she was staring at it.

"Err… lady Lirin?"

"KYAAA!" Lirin jumped in surprise.

"Your food." the girls had come from behind her, holding the plate.

"HOOORAYYY!" she took it grinning madly.

They stared wide-eyed and sweating as she devoured more food.

* * *

Into the 'Regulation Room' there were no sounds but the clicking of the keyboards. The only light was coming from their screens. A not-so-friendly place.

His cup of coffee steamed beside the keyboard while he typed.

Ni.

He was smoking as usual, wearing an inscrutable expression. All of a sudden, he moved.

"Owie!" He touched the tip of his nose.

"That door slumming on your face, I take it?" The old youkai said without stopping his work or turn to him.

"She is strong, no less. No doubt she isn't crying."

Her breath cut off. She swallowed hard, trying to calm down.

Hwan wasn't at her best.

Ni smirked.

"Don't you agree, professor Hwan?" He turned to her.

"A-about what?" Cold sweat came all over her.

"That lady Lirin has overcome her loss. And very quickly." His smirk widened.

"How should I know?" she refused to look at him. Still, her slight tremble spoke volumes.

"Ahh, I wish the maids of this castle were that strong! In putting things back to their places, I mean."

"Ah, yes, you're talking about all this mess in the library," Said Old Man Wang.

Hwan gasped.

"Yeah, I wish they would stop misplacing the books! I can't figure out where I left the ones I was reading!" Ni had a note of childish protest in his voice.

Hwan got the picture.

She stood up very fast.

"Hm?"

"You're right. Neither can I. It's annoying!"

"Oh? -.-"

"And where are you going?" asked Wang. Hwan was about to leave.

"To find the maids, of course!"

"Hmmm… I don't think talking to them is our job, really." Declared Ni.

"Well, since lord Kougaiji's servant Yaone is not here, we are obligated to tell them ourselves!" Hwan said a little angrily.

Ni thought a bit. "Hmmm… I think you've got a point in that." His innocent, childish tone changed into a sarcastic one. "Maybe I should have taken this into consideration before I made that decision."

Hwan gasped. _' "That decision"? That's… OH, MY…'_ She realised what the perverted scientist had just said. She opened the door furiously and left with a horrified expression.

Ni and the old youkai were left alone.

"And they say that women are trickier than men," said the latter.

" 'Nothing is true,' didn't I tell you?" Ni smirked.

* * *

She was running like someone haunted her. She was out of breath, but still, she wouldn't stop. The same thought was echoing inside her head over and over again.

_'He killed them. Somehow, he did it.' _

And she was running.

_'He killed them. Somehow, he did it.' _

And she was running.

_'He killed them. Somehow, he did it.' _

And she was running.

_'He killed them. Somehow, he did it.' _

And she was running.

_'But how?' _

And she was running. To the library.

But someone stopped her.

* * *

The light in the library was very low, for candles illuminated it. They were almost completely melted; they had sat there for a long time. On the bookshelves, the books were in disarray; small ones and big ones, thick and thin, old and new, all scattered around without order.

But that was nothing compared with the mess around one of the reading tables. The books, one on top of the other, were creating tall towers from the floor to the ceiling. And in the middle of all this chaos, someone sat in a chair in front of a table.

Lirin.

She had removed many candles from their original places in order to see more clearly. Right on the table was, maybe, the largest, oldest book in the whole castle. Lirin was actually standing on the chair, rather than sitting. She read with a pencil in her mouth and her eyes fixed on the pages. Her eyes glimmered.

_'This is it! Yes! That's it!' _

She was stunned.

Right inside the book there was a poem:

_"Shin no Tobira' is the mystery. _

_Unsolved until today. _

_Oh, great death, your door. _

_Not even Kami understand it. _

_The path that leads there. _

_Forbidden even to Enma. _(The king of hell in the Buddhist religion.)

_From the beginning of the world. _

_Until its end comes. _

_The path shall lie there. _

_Only to the owner of the Crests shall it open. _

_The first that masters the Earth. _

_From whence the heretical ones are born. _

_The second that masters the Water. _

_From whence life was born. _

_The third that masers the Wind. _

_Where all creatures survive. _

_The fourth that masters the Fire. _

_Where all creatures die. _

_These four together, lead to the other two. _

_Where the four moons await to become one again." _

The poem was called 'The Six Crests of Life and Death'.

_'The Six Crests of Life and Death' _she thought. _'Maybe… maybe that's the way to do it!'_ The smile that had appeared on her face faded. _'Wait… where are the Crests today?'_ She looked at the cover of the book. '_This book is supposed to be written about…'_

"2000 YEARS AGO?" The words burst from her mouth. She covered it with her both hands, glancing all around her. She took them down slowly and looked at the book again, wearing a serious expression. She stared.

And stared.

And stared.

And stared.

And stared.

She made the decision.

She closed the book, jumped off the chair, headed to the door; all of her movements were fast.

Determined.

The card for the library fit into a slot above which glowed a green light. Below there were two buttons next to each other. Lirin pressed the right one and the heavy, metallic door opened to the side. At the same time, the card came out of the slot and the light turned red.

She got out and put the card into another slot and the door closed again, but before she took the card back, she heard footsteps.

"Agh!" She gasped and stared at the end of the long corridor to see who was coming.

The figure was unclear at fist, for it was too far away.

It was walking.

_'Who is this?' _

And walking.

_'A white lab coat?' _

And walking.

_'Is it Hwan?' _

And walking.

Delighted by this thought, she began to run towards the figure to meet it, smiling.

Her smile faded.

She stopped.

A thin line of smoke curled above the figure's head.

_'Smoke? Wait... Hwan doesn't smoke!' _

Lirin saw who it was.

_'NI!'_ She started searching for a place to hide. There was none inside the corridor. She watched in horror as Ni approached...

* * *

"Let me go! What do you think you're doing?" Yelled Hwan.

"Easy, Hwan-san. Don't take it personally." Said the old youkai.

"But..."

"Silence." The voice made her stop. From where she was, lying on the floor, tied with ropes all around her, Hwan couldn't see the one who spoke. But she knew who was.

Her breath caught. She raised her head, terrified.

There stood the woman she had been obeying for about ten years or so.

Gyokumen Koushu.

"You…" Started Hwan but she was cut off.

"So… Ni was right. 'Nothing is true.'"

"Don't talk to me for that perverted psycho!"

"Hm?" Gyokumen looked down at her.

"Who do you think you're dealing with? Some girl with no pride?" Hwan was literally yelling.

"Oh, come on now, you're not a girl. Or do you consider yourself as one? No one stays young forever." Gyokumen held an air of omniscience. Contrary to what she expected of her bitch, Hwan smirked.

"Nor smart."

"What?" Gyokumen's temper rose up.

"It is scientifically proven that older people cannot afford complex linguistic situations. The brain lacks oxygen and fails to respond."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gyokumen was pissed now.

"No, I'm not referring to myself as a girl. But there is another girl in this castle."

"Heh. Not that brat, I hope."

Hwan glared at her. "And this proves the theory." Gyokumen blinked. "Older people don't have the ability to see the obvious. To see people the way they really are. To see that they have a daughter, who lacks book smarts, but has a lot of willpower like all the young ones in this world." The atmosphere grew heavy with her words. Gyokumen clenched her teeth. Hwan continued. "Or do you disagree, lady Gyokumen?"

"That's so rude. I've been nice to you, you know." Gyokumen tried to stay calm.

"Even with the most disgusting of the ways. That idiotic male took notice."

"Oh, he did? It's a pity he's not here." That shocked Hwan.

"Eh?"

"Losing the upper hand is awful, isn't it?" The youkai lady started to have fun.

"…She won't be caught." Hwan's eyes hid behind her hair.

"What?"

"She had done nothing. Nothing more than what she has to do from now on."

"And what's that?"

"To fight. What else? You are really getting old."

"Ngh… what's your point?"

"You are so busy reviving that bastard that you don't see what you already have. From the data I received from her, she looks special. Isn't she the one who's most important for the revival of that ox?"

That infuriated Gyokumen. Her hand lashed out and slapped Hwan across the face.

"Don't you EVER say that again about my lover, you bitch!"

Hwan gave her a grave stare. "Will you really become his wife? What if he won't choose you? Why DIDN'T he choose you when he was supposed to while Rasetsunyo was alive?"

"Shut up!"

"Truth hurts, my lady! I wanted to be the one who would tell you this! For everything you have done to me! And the truth is that you are ol…"

Another slap made Hwan stop.

"We are going to catch her! And you are going to watch!" Yelled Gyokumen. The youkai lady left furiously, with Wang following her. He took a look at Hwan before the door closed.

Hwan sighed.

* * *

He reached the door of the library, smoking as always and holding his toy-rabbit. He stopped and looked around. Right behind him was a closed window. He stood right in front of it, his expression half-hidden. He was looking all around like he was searching for something. He found nothing.

"Hmmm…" he mumured.

"Ak… nn… Sh-shit…" Lirin was outside of the window, yet, she was invisible to Ni. She hung from the jamb of the window, swaying in the air with the card clenched between her teeth. Beneath her, the rocky ground seemed so far away. She dared to take a look down. "Nnng!…" She tried to hold her scream. The wind whistled in her ears, freezing her, and she took her eyes away from the view beneath her.

Lirin moved up, trying to see inside. She saw Ni's back. She moved slowly down again and signed.

"Here, let me." Two hands took hold of her.

"Ah, thanks! Er…?" She turned to see… "KYAAAAAAA!" Right behind her was Kaena, holding her from under her shoulders and hovering with her wings. She wore a BIG smile.

"Don't yell, or you'll be noticed!" She whispered with a smirk. Lirin bit both her lips together.

"Hm m hm?" (Who are you?) Asked Lirin still biting her lips. Kaena smiled.

"Kaena. Now, why don't we go a bit higher?" she lifted Lirin and flew over the window.

"Hm?" Ni looked at the window. Something had passed in front of it, blocking the light for an instant. He walked over and opened it, looking from both sides to see what it was.

Kaena was holding Lirin in her arms, both of them looking down to the scientist that had opened the window. Lirin took a look at Kaena, a bit worried. Ni, after a thorough inspection, got back in.

"Ooof! That was close! Thank you for the help… Kana?" said Lirin trying to remember her name.

"Kaena! I'm here to give you a hand through this." she smiled at the young youkai girl.

"Eh?"

* * *

"To the east?"

"Yup, to the east. The very first of the Crests awaits you there!" Kaena was very happy to say that to Lirin. They were about a kilometer away from Houtou castle. Kaena had flown them there.

"Oi…"

"Hm?" Kaena noticed that Lirin was a bit worried.

"Why are you helping me? I mean, thank you, but Lirin wants to know!"

"Why? BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO!" The goddess of Life and Light took a pose reminiscent of Gai-sensei from Naruto.

"…" Lirin sweated. "All right then!" She put her hands over her head like she always did. Kaena looked at her.

"TO THE EAST!" She pointed at a spot in the horizon.

"Err… actually, the east is from THAT way." Kaena ruined Lirin's moment, by pointing in the absolute opposite direction.

"Ah…-.-, sorry."

"Lirin… now the serious part."

"Eh?"

"The truth is that you shall be alone. Finding the Crests is far more difficult than you can imagine."

"Nyaa? How do you know about the Crests?"

"I'm a kami. Can't you tell? -.-" she said pointing at her blue marks, her wings, etc. etc.

"Ah, I see." 'Now I know what was so weird about her.'

"I have nothing to say to you but this: Fight for the ones you care about and you'll never be alone. This world is ugly enough without you following the wrong path. Remember this Lirin and you'll succeed!" Her expression grew stern. Lirin watched with glimmering eyes. "Oh, and…" a light appeared on her hand and when it disappeared, a bag was there. "…Take this. It has everything you need for your journey."

"Thanks, Ka-chan!" said Lirin taking the bag.

' 'Ka-chan'?' Kaena sweated. "Oh, Lirin."

"Yes?"

"Don't give up. Your journey is far more important than you can imagine. Still, you will be away from the place you call home for a while. There are hard times to come, but don't give up!"

"… Heh!" her face hid behind her hair, yet there was a smirk on her lips.

"Eh?"

"Don't worry! If you're saying that I might die, don't worry! As long as onii-chan and my friends remain dead… I refuse to die!" her grin spoke volumes: determination, mostly. Kaena smiled.

"Sincerety and determination. No matter what a person wants to achieve, these two are necessary. And it seems that you are well-equipped with both. So…" a light surrounded her and Lirin.

"…YOU MAY GO!"

The light flashed. When it went away, only Kaena was there. Lirin was gone.

"It shall be fun!" Her smile faltered. "Or not. Don't let your sadness take you down, young Youkai Lady."

* * *

Lirin was running with all the speed her little legs could give. The sun was setting on India's horizon, where the disgusting Houtou castle was.

**_May it be an evening star  
Shines down upon you  
May it be when darkness falls  
Your heart will be true  
You walk a lonely road  
Oh! How far you are from home _**

She was crying.

'I'll bring you back, onii-chan! I promise!'

All night. She ran all night long, trying to get as far away as she could, all alone, crying in the vacant land, a desert of cold stone.

Still, her promises never ended.

**_  
Mornie ut_****_ϊ_****_lie (darkness has come)  
Believe and you will find your way  
Mornie alantie (darkness has fallen)  
A promise lives within you now _**

'I'll bring you back, Yaone! I promise!'

Her tears were falling from her eyes like stars on her cheeks, watering the unfriendly land all night long.

Still, her promises never ended.

**_May it be the shadows call  
Will fly away  
May it be your journey on  
To light the day  
When the night is overcome  
You may rise to find the sun _**

'I'll bring you back, Dokugaku! I promise!'

Running and running. Never stopping. Her small legs ached, but she never stopped.

Always with the same promise.

**_Mornie ut_****_ϊ_****_lie (darkness has come)  
Believe and you will find your way  
Mornie alantie (darkness has fallen)  
A promise lives within you now _**

'I promise!'

**_A promise lives within you now _**

"I PROMISE!"

At the rising sun, she was gone from India.

To be continued...

* * *

SO! How was it? Good, bad? Tell me! 

If you want to see Kaena as I drew her (I think I did a good job) visit my profile! She's there! And I want to say that the Sanzo-ikku will appear as the villains in this story! Kinda...

Anyway, believe it or not, the actual story hasn't started yet! I'll tell you when it does! So...

REVIEW!

Greece out!


	5. Two Callings, One Choice, Marahuta

Bad news, guys and gals! I had my PC stolen the last week and now it's very difficult for me to update! I'll do my best, I swear!

Special thanks to Cyh-Scaevola for editing it! You rock!

I also want to thank Internal Chaos for reviewing! You're so nice!

Disclaimer: Saiyuki doesn't belong to me, or else you think I would write fan fiction?

* * *

**_Chapter 4: Two Callings, One Choice-Marahuta._**

* * *

"Ah, it sounds _so_ great! I can't wait to begin!" 

"Err… I think it did."

"No, not yet. You can't wait either, can you?"

"…"

Kaena was next to the pool with the boiling water again. The man who was with her all this time was now standing in front of the door. Once again, the light in the doorway hid his image. The Goddess of Light and Life had just returned from earth and she was quite excited. She smiled at the man at the door, somehow sorrowful.

"Hey. She's going to take very good care of her. So, don't worry! " she smiled in an attempt to comfort him.

"It's been gone… 5000 years… and all this time, I never thought that he had taken her to another world. How cruel." His voice was bitter.

"But now it's over!"

"As you said, no, not yet." He left the yard then, letting her wonder.

"Oh, well." She put her arms behind her head, like Lirin used to. "We'll see."

* * *

The Houtou castle. The 'Regulation Room'. 

"Oh, well. We'll see," Ni said while drinking his coffee in front of Gyokumen.

"What do you mean 'oh, well'? It's not a small problem here!" she cried at him. Gyokumen was very anxious. "She left and is that all you say? And what exactly will we see?"

"You are getting hysterical, mistress," he noticed with a pleasant smile.

"Ni!" Gyokumen _was_ getting hysterical! "How can you be so calm at a time like this?"

"Relax, relax! She won't get anywhere far! Not when she knows that her brother won't search for her…" Ni _was_ calm.

The elder youkai was just typing at his computer as usual. He wasn't taking part in the conversation. Suddenly he rose, heading to the Regulation Room's door.

"Where to sensei?" asked Ni.

"It's already noon." he answered, without stopping.

Ni turned and saw the clock on the wall. "Ah, I see," he said without interest.

"As if betraying us weren't enough," murmured Gyokumen under her breath. Ni heard her.

"Now, now. You worry about Lirin, you worry about Hwan, and you'll get wrinkles!" Ni was enjoying teasing Gyokumen.

"Tell me one good reason _not_ to worry!" yelled Gyokumen.

Ni didn't answer. He turned to his desk and took something big and heavy from it. It was a very old book.

"Just take a look in here. It seems that our kitten princess found something that doesn't exist!"

* * *

A dark, dump cage in the third basement of Houtou castle. 

Inside, only a bench, carried by chains.

And on that bench sat a woman.

She was only staring in front of her.

Vacantly.

Her expression was blank.

Hwan.

The young scientist was wearing only a short black dress, truly unsuitable for that cold place.

_'Ding!'_

The sound of the elevator was heard and soon enough Old Man Wang appeared. He was holding a dish with food.

Hwan didn't move.

Wang put the dish down and passed it inside the cage.

Once again, Hwan didn't move.

He sighed, "I thought that you were smarter, Hwan."

No answer.

He sighed again and started to leave.

"Say..." Hwan's first word for a long time stopped him. "How did you end up here?"

Wang sat down on a small chair in front of the cage. "Just my luck, I guess," he said with no interest at all.

Again nothing.

"Okay, how did _you_ end up here?" asked the old youkai.

Hwan was silent for a while and then...

"I... I had a family... once."

* * *

Through the windows of the small house, figures were visible. The figures had pointy ears. They were youkai. 

"Shit! Not again! Hwan, hurry! Get out of the house from the back!" A man in his early forties yelled at a teenage girl. She obeyed. The man stood for a second in front of the closed door and then he opened it.

There was no one to be seen.

"NOOO!" screamed the man.

* * *

"NYAAAAA! Where am I? Lirin got lost!" She cried and fell on her back on the ground. 

Lirin had been travelling for a long time through an enormous savannah. All she could see was yellow grass, yellow grass and yellow grass. Oh, and yellow grass, too.

All in all, she was bored out of her brain.

"'Go East,' she says... but where to East? That ugly kami-girl deceived me!" she screamed.

* * *

" 'UGLY KAMI-GIRL'? Ugly? Me? Aaaarrrggh!" On heaven, Kaena wasn't very pleased. Not at all.

* * *

The wind was blowing her golden hair off her dark face. Lirin had calm down and now she was staring at the sky above. 

'Was I stupid? Can I really find these Crests... alone?' a memory hit her.

* * *

She saw inside. 

No sound.

Just blood.

From her brother's chest.

From her sister's heart.

From her oldest brother's head.

The blood dancing in the air, in front of her eyes.

* * *

"Ah..." she opened her eyes and blinked rapidly. Her eyes were filled with tears. She rolled to her stomach, hugging the ground. "Onii-chan..."

* * *

"She's just a kid. Even if she's Gyumaoh's daughter or her shell, she won't stop being a child. I don't think there has to be so much worry." 

"Jiroushin. Do you know the phrase: 'people change'?"

"Er... yes, Bosatsu-sama, I know. But is it possible for her to?"

Kanzeon Bosatsu and Jiroushin were in front of the pool where the Goddess of Love and Mercy was watching the Sanzo-ikkou. But, for now, the image had changed.

"Do you remember the time when the Monkey King Son Goku first came to heaven? You had said exactly the same thing. And that's where the Second Great Destruction of Heaven came from." the merciful goddess wore a grave look. It was unlike her.

"But still, it's not the same! Son Goku was a heretical child, a strong creature by its own nature! There's no way she can be the same... wait. You said... the second? Was there a first?" Jiroushin was looking at Kanzeon worriedly. She kept looking ahead.

"You are young, Jiroushin. Younger than me. That's why you don't know."

* * *

Voices. 

Two of them.

And yet, not exactly voices.

But they were enough to make her stop crying.

So now she was running.

'These voices... I can hear them calling me. Someone's calling me.' thought Lirin while she kept running. 'I don't know who this can be, but... IT'S SO DAMN ANNOYING!' She was a bit angry, so she decided to find out who was calling her.

She was running towards a very special direction. It was odd, but as she was running, she followed, without her knowing, a small path. Like it was made to take her there, to where the voices were echoing. Soon enough she met trees that added something to the flat ground. The calls grew louder and louder. 'ARRRGH! I'm gonna get deaf! Shut it, dammit, I'm coming!' she yelled inside her mind.

And so, she kept on running.

* * *

'Whoops! And now what?' she asked herself. 

She stood in front of a junction. The one branch kept on straight ahead, but there was another one turning on the right. Lirin turned her head from the one to the other. From the one to the other, from the one to the other,fromtheonetotheotherfromtheonetotheother...

'All right! From here the calling is louder, so I guess it's closer. I'll get there first and then I'll go to the other!' and she picked the right branch.

"Ah! That's gonna be difficult!" she shouted. She halted before the base of a HUGE precipice that was about two hundred meters high. (A/N: I'm sorry, I'm a Greek so I don't know how much this is in feet, miles or anything else!) 'Now? Now... I climb! It's not like this annoying voice will stop!' And so she did. She approached the precipice full of rocks and small branches and started to climb, grabbing the braches to help her up...

* * *

"A legend? Are you sure it's just this?" 

"Positive! The six Crests of Life and Death were never recorded to any historical document."

Gyokumen was standing in front of Ni and staring at the old, large book that was lying on his knees. He spoke to her with a loosey-goosey smile filled with confidence and omniscience.

"Is that enough for you to believe it?" Asked Gyokumen raising an eyebrow.

Ni's smile widened. "'In this world, is there value to believe in anything? You can look for truth, but you cannot find it. What exists is what I touch and see.' It is more than enough for me to believe anything."

"Hmmm... Indeed." Gyokumen smiled to herself. She approached Ni with a salacious glint in her eyes. "And... what about the project? Unless you have something better in mind." She sat on his knees.

"Hmm... I think the Old Man will be here in a minute." Answered Ni with a childish thinking face.

Speak of the devil...

"Damn..." Muttered Gyokumen under her breath standing up from Ni's knees. The door opened and Old Man Wang entered.

"So?" Asked Ni

"Nothing important." He answered, sitting in front of his computer. Gyokumen left with a small farewell gesture to Ni.

* * *

"Ahh... it's so high!" She muttered under her breath. Slowly, she looked down. She was at about the halfway point of the climb, a hundred meters above the ground. She kept her eyes focused on the top, not wanting to get dizzy and fall. Lirin had been climbing for about twenty minutes. The little youkai girl was determined to see who was calling her, or else his or her voice wouldn't let her sleep at night! 

And so, she kept on climbing.

When at last she peered over the top of the cliff, she gasped seeing what was on it.

It was like the sun had settled there.

It was huge, no doubt. Almost as long as a bus. The feathers of its back, wings and tail were deep golden. Only the feathers of its head were pure white. It was sleeping, for its body moved up and down slowly and peacefully. But all around it, tight ropes held it tied to the ground by stakes.

An eagle.

A huge eagle.

Lirin climbed to the top and stood there, in front of the gigantic bird, with eyes and mouth open widely.

She raised a hand to touch it.

With a 'skree!' the eagle woke up, seeing Lirin with its right eye. It immediately started to scream shrilly and struggle against its restraints.

"NYAAA! Easy! Calm down! Why are you struggling since you were calling me for so long? Calm down. Lirin won't hurt you. I'm here..." she approached the eagle, which was slowly relaxing.

"... because you called me." and she touched it. The eagle, out of breath from its struggles, accepted her touch. "That's it. Easy now." Lirin began to caress it. "Now... to cut the ropes, Lirin needs a..." She began to search at her clothes for something, but she realised that... 'Oh, no! I forgot to bring anything with me!' She screamed mentally. All of a sudden, a memory hit her. 'Oh, yeah, I forgot. That Ka-chan gave me a bag. Maybe...' she started to search in the bag that was around her hips. (A/N: It is a big bag, one of these that are on the butt, with their belt around the hips, I hope you got it!) 'Oh! I got it!' and she took out a small knife.

Its small blade glimmered to the sun and blinded the eagle.

It started screaming and struggling more violently than before.

"Hey! Easy, I'm here to help you!" Yelled Lirin, frightened by the bird's reaction. Unexpectedly, one of the eagle's wings got out enough to push Lirin back and close to the edge of the precipice, and she decided at that instant. She had to cut the ropes now! Somehow she knew that this was the reason why that bird was calling her. She rolled under the bird, which continued struggling to escape from the ropes around it.

"I said, calm down! You've been calling me, so why are you scared?" yelled Lirin as she started cutting one of the ropes on its head. With a 'slash' the rope got away, freeing the eagles head, which allowed to the golden bird to raise its head and scream even more loudly.

Seeing it like this, Lirin had no choice but to cut the ropes immediately. She could see that all those ropes were actually one, passing through the eyeholes of the stakes. And the end of that rope was...

"There!" she shouted seeing the end under its tail. Even though the bird's wings were right next to it, and had large talons moving all around, Lirin got to it.

And she cut it.

"YOU'RE FREE!" she yelled raising both her arms, smiling.

And she didn't see.

She didn't realize.

She didn't understand that the eagle, by opening its wings, pushed her away from the edge of the cliff and into the air.

"YAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

And she was falling.

With the look of surprise and terror in her eyes.

The golden eagle set free and launched above her, opening its gigantic wings against the sun, covering it.

And she kept on falling, twisting in the air.

Her eyes filled with tears from the spinning air.

Her golden hair set free, flowing all around.

She was so scared.

So scared to die.

To die.

Die.

She saw a smiling Kougaiji beore her eyes.

'As long as... '

A worried Yaone.

'...my family'

A grinning Dokugaku.

'...remains dead...'

All of them and herself among them.

'...I...'

The light was strong. Bright. Golden. Coming to her.

"...I..."

And she reached.

And she hit.

Soft.

Warm.

And again, that scream in her ears.

Lirin opened her eyes only to see trees, leaves and in the end sky running before her... going down. So, she was going up.

UP?

She opened her eyes totally, only to find her body lying somewhere she never expected to lie. Soft and warm, the eagle's feathered back was a perfect place to lie down. Lirin sat on the golden bird's back, right where its large, strong wings were moving.

The eagle, somehow, had come under her while she was falling and caught her, taking her on its back! Lirin, shocked, looked behind her, only to see the ground going down, for she was going up.

And it was so fast!

The eagle was going above trees, above the hills, above the cliffs. And even above, higher and higher. It screamed again reaching the only frontier between them and the sky: the clouds.

Lirin's head popped up from the clouds and the eagle's body slowly appeared too underneath her. She was staring in front of her totally shocked. The wind blew her hair everywhere and the land below seemed so far away... She shook her head looked down at the bird. Her face reflected on its eye, making her look chubby. She smiled at that.

"Oi! Get higher!" she yelled at the bird and it obeyed. (A/N: what a smart bird!) The clouds went up like mountains. When they were gone, Lirin gasped, seeing all the savannah she had been travelling into, spread expansively far below. The eagle started diving down and Lirin once again felt her eyes filling with tears. Only now she was grinning.

"WHEEEEE! Where are we going? Hey!" Of course, she didn't get an answer.

* * *

'Now, THIS is a high precipice!' thought Lirin as the bird dived into it. It was equal to the Grand Canyon. And in one of its sides, there was a huge nest. The eagle landed there, letting Lirin fall from her back. Lirin couldn't stand, for she was very dizzy from the flight. Her hair was in a mess. 

"Wow..." She murmured brushing her golden hair from her face. She saw the eagle looking at her in curiosity. "Yeah?" she replied. The bird looked at her for a while before it removed some large leaves from a spot on the nest. What Lirin saw was... eggs. Larger that any egg on the planet.

"Nyaa, you're a mommy!" Said Lirin. She approached them and touched one lightly. Soon, she had her whole face on it. "Man, they're so warm! The birdies are gonna hatch soon!" She said at the eagle grinning. The bird did something that made Lirin burst laughing. Somehow, all the feathers on her body bristled, making her look briefly like a gigantic chicken. Very carefully, she went on the top of the eggs and sat on them. Lirin found it cute.

"Err..." She started searching with the eyes at the sky. The eagle saw her and started searching too. "And where's your daddy now?" She asked. The eagle looked at her like she couldn't understand and then her head bowed down. She was sad. Lirin's smile faded. "He's...?" But she didn't need any answer; she could understand. "I'm without family too." Lirin caressed the large female eagle with her eyes wet again.

'But I'm not without one.'

"Yeah, your eggs will... WHA-? You... YOU TALKED?" She screamed.

'Hush, little youkai girl. Yes. I talked. I'm Marahuta, queen of all birds in the world. I'm supposed to... Now... what happened to your family?'

"Eeerrrr... " Lirin didn't know how to respond to a talking eagle, but she tried.

* * *

"See? It's just stupid isn't it? The Six Crests of Life and Death... even if I find them I..." 

'Go back to that castle that you hate so much and let yourself to the hands of that psycho scientist. You are worth only this.'

"Eh?"

'Your brother and his friends had the courage to try and resurrect his mother. They tried to do the impossible. Even though they died, they don't complain now.' Marahuta's tone was serous and strict.

Lirin started to scream. She had tears in her eyes. "OF COURSE THEY DON'T COMPLAIN! THEY'RE DEAD!"

'Stupid kitten. They're not dead. Not yet.'

"Wha-?"

'That spell... 'Shin no Tobira'... cannot kill.'

"WHAT? But they died! I... I saw them. Lirin saw them... being killed. They... are..."

'...dead? No. Not at all.'

"What do you mean?"

'That Hwan you said, since she's a scientist, she was wrong about the spell. Her area is totally different from mine.'

"Yours?" asked Lirin with a stupefied look.

'Yes. I am 2000 years old, so I know about legends and magic.'

"2000 YEARS OLD? Geez, that's a lot!"

Marahuta ignored her comment, sweating, and continued. 'Whatever. I'm trying to say that their bodies may rot away and disappear, but their souls haven't entered the Door of Death.'

" 'Shin no Tobira' " whispered Lirin in realisation.

'For a stupid kitten, you're doing well.' Marahuta, if she could, would form a smirk on her beak.

"Thanks... HEY! Don't call me that! It's Lirin!"

'Whatever. Lirin, their souls are right before the door. They will remain there until either someone opens the door for them to enter, or allow them to go back to their bodies.'

"IS THERE A WAY? TELL ME!" Lirins face was burning with stress.

'You already know it. The Six Crests of Life and Death.'

"They... exist?"

'The question is not if they exist. Is if you have enough courage to find them. What you need is sincerity and determination.'

Lirin gasped, having a flashback.

* * *

"The truth is that you shall be alone. Finding the Crests is far more difficult than you can imagine." 

"Nyaa? How do you know about the Crests?"

"I'm a kami. Can't you tell?" she said pointing at her blue marks, her wings, etc. etc.

"Ah, I see." 'Now I understand what was so weird about her.'

"I have nothing to say to you but this: Fight for the ones you care about and you'll never be alone. This world is ugly enough without you following the wrong path. Remember this, Lirin, and you'll succeed!" her expression was stern. Lirin watched with glimmering eyes. "Oh, and…" a light appeared on her hand and when it dissapeard, a bag was there. "…Take this. It has everything you need for your journey."

"Thanks, Ka-chan!" said Lirin taking the bag.

' 'Ka-chan'?' Kaena sweatdropped. "Oh, Lirin."

"Yes?"

"Don't give up. Your journey is far more important than you can imagine. Still, you will be away from the place you call home for a long time. There are hard times to come, but don't give up!"

"… Heh!" her face was covered from her hair. Yet, there was a smirk on her lips.

"Eh?"

"Don't worry! If you are saying that I might die, don't worry! As long as onii-chan and my friends remain dead… I refuse to die!" her grin spoke volumes: determination, mostly. Kaena smiled.

"Sincerety and determination. No matter what a person wants to achieve, these two are necessary. And it seems that you are well-equipped with both. So…" a light surrounded her and Lirin.

"…YOU MAY GO!"

* * *

Her dark face was covered with her golden hair. "'Well-equipped with both'..." she murmured under her breath." HELL, I AM! I WILL BRING THEM BACK! I'LL FIND THOSE FUCKING, DAMN CRESTS AND I'LL BRING THEM BACK! LIRIN PROMISED AND SHE WILL! YOU CAN COUNT ON THAT!" Suffice to say that she was outraged. Very. 

'Hmm...' Marahuta chuckled. 'That's the spirit. If you have decided then, why not letting me take you down, so you can go on? You know where to go, right?'

"HELL, YEAH! EAST! GO TO EAST!" she pointed a spot, somewhere.

'Err... actually, the east is THAT way.' said Marahuta pointing to the other side with her head.

Lirin sweated. "Again. I have to learn how to use that map in the bag.-.-;"

* * *

'Here.' 

"Hm? For me? A feather?"

Lirin and Marahuta were both standing in front of the crossroad where Lirin had decided to follow Marahuta's calling. The gigantic eagle was holding a large, golden feather in her beak, offering it to Lirin.

'I owe you one for freeing me. Use it.'

"How?" asked Lirin baffled.

'YOU must find the way. Oh, and something else. How did you find me? You came straight to the trap.'

"Whaddya mean? Ya called me." Lirin cocked and eyebrow.

'What do YOU mean? I never called anyone.' If Marahuta could, she would have cocked an eyebrow, too.

"Nyaa! Ya called me, okay? I hadda come, or else ya wouldn't shut it!" Lirin put her arms behind her head, as usual.

Marahuta remained silent. She blinked, not having any idea what the youkai girl was talking about. 'Oh, well. I wish you the best of luck in your journey, Lirin-chan.' and she prepared to leave.

"Thanks! Bye-bye, Mara-chan!"

'Farewell. _Mara-chan_?o.o;' And she left flying. Lirin watched her until she became a small spot in the sky.

And all of a sudden, she screamed.

"NNNYYYYAAAAAAAAA! I forgot! The other calling! AND IT'S EVEN MORE ANNOYING! DAAAAMMIIITT!" Lirin screamed covering her ears with her hands. 'Okay, buddy! You want Lirin to come? Then she'll come! Prepare to meet me, whoever or whatever you are!'

And she ran toward the darkened sky, for the night was close.

To be continued...

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I know what you want to say: we were waiting all this time for THIS? I know that this chapter sound totally filler and absolutely irrelevant, but trust me, it's NOT. The feather Marahuta gave to Lirin has a very special power that will help our little youkai girl a lot. And... 

THE STORY NOW BEGINS!

Preview of the next chapter: _She is worried about her brother. His hate has gone off the limits. He kills all the youkai he sees to avenge their parents' death a year ago. Hey, what is this? A little youkai girl? Let her not be seen by brother! And what is about the major of the army, taking orders from a youkai lady? Search what? A little youkai girl? Oh, dear!_

Next chapter:

**The Humans' Hate for Youkai-Family Issues.**

DON'T MISS IT!

And please review! It is a writer's bloodlife! I really need feedback for this story! You see, I plan it to be at least 50 ch long! Yeah, THAT much!

Greece out!


	6. TheHumans HateForYoukai,FamilyIssues

Whoever is reading this, many new characters are coming! One familiar towards the end...

Disclaimer: Do I have to?

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter 5: The Humans' Hate for Youkai-Family Issues.

* * *

_**

"Asai aniki! (A/N: Aniki means big brother, more informal than onii-chan,) Where are you going now? It's five o'clock in the morning!"

"Didn't you hear, Heikki? There was another youkai attack outside the city an hour ago! Those monsters can't be far away!" He answered putting on his black gloves.

"But, aniki! No one offered you such a job! Why are you—?"

"...doing it? You know why Heikki!" He shouted at the girl in front of him, taking his black jacket from the chair. She hung her head sadly, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. His expression softened a bit.

"Heikki, listen. Stay here and—"

"...Lock the door and the windows, I know aniki. But, don't you think that I would be safer if you stayed with me, here? After all, you're the best fighter in this area." There was a slight hope in her soft, timid voice that he would stay with her.

His expression once again became strict. "Exactly, and because I'm that good, _I'm_ the only one who can catch those murderers! Now, do as I say! I don't need you to be under my feet!" He turned to the door.

She looked at him, shocked, almost ready to cry. He didn't look back again. He opened the door and left, taking a heavy handgun from the table, shutting the door behind him.

And so she remained alone.

Again.

_Knock! Knock! Knock! _

"Eh?" She raised her head, revealing a pair of watery blue eyes. Her hair was brown with blond tips, raised in two buns on her head, Chinese style. She was wearing a short, traditional pink dress with a golden pendant around her neck. She was a bit chubby like most toddlers.

"Who... who is it?" She asked to the door, scared.

"Heikki-chan, open! It's me Pan! Did he leave again?"

"Oh...!" Heikki ran to the door and opened it. She dove into the old woman's arms and started to cry.

"Oh dear, Heikki-chan! He went youkai hunting again, didn't he?" The old woman had short, silver hair. She watched the weeping girl sadly with calm, austere brown eyes. She was wearing a white doctor robe and a knee-height black skirt. In her left hand she gripped a staff, for her leg was in bad condition. "Come now, let's sit down. Staying out here won't help at all."

Pan took Heikki by her arm and led her to the seat next to the dinning table. She sat herself across from her. She looked at the young girl sorrowfully. This would be the sixth time this week that her older brother, Asai, was leaving her to hunt youkai.

'What a thought! Really!' Pan barked mentally. He was saying that he was doing it for Heikki, to be safe from the youkai and in order to earn money to make ends meet. All Pan knew was that Asai was a liar. "Calm down, Heikki-chan. He's going to be just fine. He's strong," she said, plastering on a fake smile to ease the girl—or to fool herself. Which one of them was she attempting to fool? It wasn't like Heikki would fall for that.

"I know, Pan-obasan, (It means aunt, usually said to a female friend of family of great age. I'm teaching you honorific Japanese in this story! Cool!) But… you know why I worry." Her eyes were full of tears that started to roll down her cheeks again. Pan remained silent for a bit.

"Yes, I know…" She looked to her right, at a photo on a shelf. There they were. All four of them were here together until a year ago. Long before _it_ happened.

"A year, huh?" she said, leaving her staff on the table.

Heikki looked at her with watery eyes. She rubbed them vigorously. "Yes. I can't believe what has happened… It's almost like a dream… no, a nightmare…"

Pan looked at the girl with her stern, yet tranquil, eyes."It's not, Heikki-chan. I wish it was nightmare, too, then it would have had an end, but it's not, and it doesn't." Heikki hung her head. Pan sighed, "I know how it feels, Heikki-chan." With this she took her staff from the table and hit with it her left leg. It gave a hollow, wooden sound. "Had it been a nightmare, I wouldn't have this damned artificial leg!"

Heikki snorted to contain a laugh between two sobs. Soon, she started to whimper again. "See, Pan-obasan? If only this was a dream, a nightmare, nothing would have happened! If only..." Heikki nearly started to yell.

"But it's not. It's not a nightmare; it's reality. And reality's a bitch," Pan answered severely. Seeing Heikki sob again, she sighed. "Sorry, Heikki-chan. I should have known that you have a strong link with the dreams. Speaking of which, what does my fortune say today?" She added with a grin. Heikki looked at her, surprised.

"You want the tarot? Now?"

"Do you want to continue speaking about your vengeful bro? I doubt it." Heikki couldn't help a smile forming. It was one of the old woman's special abilities, making her feel better.

"All right, then." She scampered off to gather the cards.

Left alone, Pan took a look at the picture again. Asai and Heikki's family, as it used to be until one year ago, along with their parents. Pan herself had taken the photo, she knew very well where they were.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly that day on the countryside. Asai and Heikki's father had gone fishing for that day and their mother had gone to do the laundry, along with Pan. Asai and Heikki had come along too. Asai was ten and Heikki eight then. 

The place was beautiful. All around there were flowers blooming and the crystal water of the river was shining and reflecting the colours. Heikki was at her best time. She was running everywhere in the sea of flowers. Asai was following her, walking slowly, enjoying the day.

"Asai aniki! Can you get me some tulips with the bulbs? I want to plant them in our garden!" Cried Heikki. Her brother smiled slightly and started to dig the soil with his nails.

"Asai-kun is very kind with Heikki-chan. You made him like this, I take it, Jogo-kun?" Asked Pan with a mischievous grin. The children's father turned smiling.

"High-spirited as ever, Pan-san?" he asked. "And no, we haven't done such a thing. Asai is good with everyone, you know that from experience." He turned to the river again. He had caught four fish by then. It would be a good dinner.

"After all, Asai and Heikki are very close." Added their mother, next to Pan.

"Yeah, I know, Shirey-chan. And Heikki-chan _needs _protection... Whoops! I shouldn't have said that! Sorry!" She started to scratch the back of her head like a boy. High-spirited he says...

Shirey smiled. "That's okay, Pan-san! I think that the people are accepting Heikki's..." She hesitated to say the word.

"... Foreseeing abilities," Pan finished casually. She gave them an austere look. "Listen, you two! People will never be able to get used to the fact that Heikki is a medium unless you do! You should know that!"

"Pan-san, enough. We do know it, so please don't lecture us, _please_." Said Jogo without turning to face her. "After all, you too have difficulty with the people here," He rebuked

"Jogo!" yelled Shirey.

"Oh, you're saying that I should feel uneasy for finding a man in my late forties and marrying him. Not to mention that _he_ is thirty something...and a youkai." Said Pan again casually.

"I'm not saying that you _should _feel uneasy, I'm just saying that you are in the same position with us, so don't judge us like this!" He was a bit irritated.

Pan sighed, "Yeah, guess you're right. Sorry." She continued her laundry. Jogo and Shirey felt uneasy. The tension was high and thick in the air; thank goodness the children came.

"Mum, dad, Pan-san! Come on! With all these flowers we should take a picture!" Heikki cried happily.

"What's wrong?" asked Asai noticing the tense feeling around them.

_'And this is Asai's ability. He can understand people's mood. He can almost sense someone's presence. Even though Jogo and Shirey are normal people, their children are...'_ Pan began thinking, before she was interrupted by a question from Heikki.

"Who's going to take the picture?"

"I will!" Pan chirped jovially. And so she did. The picture was taken with Jogo sitting on the rock where he sat while fishing, Shirey was to the right of him, and the kids were to the front. Heikki was holding all the flowers she had picked and Asai was grinning happily into the lens of the camera.

* * *

_'And all this had continued for seven years... until a year ago. When all the youkai in the village went mad, ate the very people they loved, and disappeared.' _She looked at her left leg. _'At least, you managed to restrain yourself from eating all of me, didn't you...Yisei?' S_he asked in her mind to her youkai husband who wasn't there. The memories clouded her head and she saw that night again.

* * *

The blood, her blood was spilled all over the room in their house. 

She was lying on the floor, bleeding endlessly from the place where her left thigh used to be. Now her leg was at least one meter away from its original position, the one end showing the white bone, bare between the red meat and a bit dyed with dark blood. On the floor and between her body and her leg, there was a large pool of it. A youkai man was standing in a corner, like he wanted to hide himself, on all fours like an animal, panting hard, his entire body dyed deep crimson.

The color of blood, her blood.

* * *

Yisei, her youkai husband, had attacked her and chopped her left leg off before he realized what he had been doing and ran away. Where he was now, Pan couldn't say. "Where are you, Yisei, you idiot? Why did you leave?" she murmured. 

She looked at the direction where Heikki had left. _'Not that these two had a better fate. The youkai ate their parents limb by limb in front of their very eyes. No wonder why, a year later, Asai goes hunting youkai...whether there's a payment or not. And no wonder as to why he has become the best hunter in the region. With his abilities in sensing live persons from far away, he can spot youkai that hide in the darkest night.'_

She shook her head. "Poor, stupid fellows." She murmured.

Right then, Heikki entered, holding a pack of tarot cards. "Did you say anything, Pan-obasan?"

"No. You're just hearing things." Answered Pan with a lovely grin.

"No, I' m not!"

"You do so! C'mon on, now! Read the tarots! I want to hear!"

Heikki sighed. "Okay, okay." She sat in front of Pan. "What do you want to know?" She started to toss the cards.

Pan couldn't answer for a while, for she was stunned from Heikki's ability to handle the cards. They were flying from the one hand to the other like they were alive. "Err...The usual, Heikki-chan. The weather, the news..."

"...If Yisei is going to return... " Added Heikki, almost ready to cry again, her voice breaking slightly.

Pan pouted. "Oh, stop it! What I really want to hear is whether that stupid giant bastard is going to leave our town or not!"

Heikki laughed. She was laughing hard and for a long time. People said that she had the gift -or curse- to foresee things; she was thusly declared a medium. Her brother could sense people from very far away, like they were electrifying him. Whether these rumours were real or not, Heikki couldn't say, even if there was a lot of proof of them. But his powers didn't hold a candle to Pan's ability.

Pan had the ability to soothe things, to make people find peace and fun (!) in the midst of their despair. To Heikki, Pan was the gifted one in the village. True, her jokes were nothing special, but the fact that they were coming out of a woman's mouth, who was reaching her sixties, was what made them priceless.

"So! Let's see if General Sou..."

"...The stupid giant bastard." Interrupted Pan.

"...General Sou! Is going to leave our village." She snorted.

"Yeah, whatever." Pan scratched one of her nipples. Heikki laughed again.

* * *

"General Sou! General Sou!" Many people were running in a hallway that led to the office of General in Central. It was the base of a large unit of the human army. It was possibly the largest in Shangri-La. 

"Maybe he's sleeping." Suggested one of the many soldiers that were running in the hallway.

"No way! He always gets up at four a.m.! He _has_ to be awake!" Chimed in another.

While they were still running, a man went out of a door in front of them. By just looking at his decorated uniform you could automatically tell he was of high a rank. He had dark skin, light moustache and beard. He looked to be in his early forties.

"Lieutenant Shiko!" One called. The Lieutenant turned to look at them, surprised.

"Why are you running like this, Captain Yuki? What's the matter?" He asked the man in front of him, his polar opposite, with a formal, authoritarian voice. He was in his late twenties, with blood red hair up in a ponytail and pitch black eyes.

"Sir, there had been another youkai attack in the village!" Shiko frowned.

"How many times do I have to repeat, Captain Yuki? If there's an attack from youkai, let the hunters handle it!"

"But...sir!" Yuki was surprised.

"Enough with this, I said! Now, go back to your previous business! Is that clear, Captain?" He barked.

"Y-yes, sir!" answered Yuki.

"Good." Shiko turned and entered the room again. The door shut, leaving everyone stupefied.

"But... If the army is not to protect the villagers, then who is? And why is the army even here?" The same whisper spread to all the soldiers. Yuki was still looking at the spot were Shiko had been standing, a troubled frown on his face.

"Enough!" He yelled. All the whispers died out. He turned to the soldiers. "Judging or questioning the actions of your superiors is an act of insubordination! Resume your normal activities! Now!" Everyone started to move back to the daily tasks at hand.

When all had gone, he sighed. _'These bastards... they're not from here and they don't give a damn about the village, which is now becoming a faceless, bloody city!'_ He sighed and started to walk away. He stopped and looked behind his back, at the end of the hallway, where the door of General Sou's study was. _'No one has ever entered there, save for Lieutenant Shiko...'

* * *

_

"So... have I made myself clear, General Sou?"

"Crystal clear, Lady Gyokumen."

General Sou's study was pitch-black, save for a single square of blue light emanating from the screen of a computer. On the screen was Gyokumen Koushu's face.

"Find that youkai girl, at all costs. No mistakes allowed. Failure is not an option." She said sharply and, somehow, dangerously. The man in front of the screen was shadowed in the pitch-black darkness of the room. Still, one could see by his silhouette that he was a very large man.

"'Failure'? I am General Sou. I have never once failed a mission." His voice was heavy and wild, with an air of superiority.

"That's why I entrusted this mission to you, General. It is very important that you find this girl. She is a necessary piece of equipment for Gyumaoh's revival." Gyokumen's voice was firm, but reluctant, as if she didn't really want to give him the assignment.

"I understand, Lady Gyokumen. Leave it to me. Now...what does this girl look like?" He leaned comfortably against his chair. He _was_ feeling comfortable with this mission.

"I sent a photo of her." Replied Gyokumen. At the same time, the fax machine started to squeak. A piece of paper started to come out. "I expect news soon, General Sou, or else the people will learn all…" Gyokumen threatened. Then her face disappeared from the screen.

* * *

"You think he will obey?" Asked Ni as Gyokumen rose from her chair in front of the PC in the 'Regulation Room' inside Houtou castle. He was listening to the conversation the entire time, hidden in the semi-darkened room. 

Gyokumen smiled. "That stupid bastard needs money to build an army of pathetic humans. No offense, Ni." She added with a malicious smile.

"Oh, as long as you don't put me in the same line, it's okay!" He waved his hand with a childish ease.

"I am his only income. He cannot disobey me." Gyokumen felt sure about her words.

Ni's glasses glowed. "Hmm... indeed." He muttered under his breath.

"What's this?" Asked Gyokumen suspiciously.

"Nothing, nothing. You just have to take into consideration, mistress, his pride."

* * *

"Arrogant bitch..." murmured Sou rising from his chair. "She dares to threaten me like this... Like you can't do anything if you aren't a filthy youkai..." The lights turned on and his image was revealed. 

"But...I need your money to rule all these idiots in this fucking army, so I have to obey you...Until my forces are strong enough to thrust into Houtou castle and cut off that ugly, demonic head of yours."

General Sou was about six and a half feet tall, with dark skin and an unbelievably muscular body. His hair was cut flat, platinum blond. He was dressed in his Generals' uniform, only with his jacket sitting loosely on his shoulders. The most peculiar thing about him was the fact that instead of his normal right arm, he had an iron-forged prosthetic, twice as big as his normal arm should have been.

General Sou headed to the door and opened it. "Shiko! Get your sorry ass here, you filth!" His strong voice boomed through the building. He walked into his study again, went to the fax machine, and took the paper. Looking at it, he grinned. At that moment, Lieutenant Shiko entered his study, looking stressed.

"What is it, General Sou?"

The General turned and passed him the paper, which Shiko fumbled then caught. "To all units: Find this girl and capture her. A youkai girl." He ordered without looking at him.

Shiko looked at the paper puzzled. "This..._this_ girl, sir?"

The General turned to face him, his irritation drawn on his heavy, square face made Shiko shudder in fear. "Why are you asking?"

"There was a youkai attack early this morning, sir! The hunters are on their way! They may find this youkai girl first!"

The General growled and stood at his full size in front of Shiko, who began to tremble. "Then make your fucking soldiers move their asses and get the girl **first! DO YOU HEAR ME?**"

Shiko almost wet his pants at his bark. "R-roger, sir! Right away!" He stuttered. He ran out of the room without saluting.

* * *

There were many people gathering under the statue in the Village Square. Or rather, of the previous village, for it was now a growing city. All of them were men, middle aged or a bit older, and well built. Each one was holding a different type of weapon: guns, swords, lances, and axes. 

Gathered around, but separate from them in the square, were many people casting glances and whispering. Most of them were old women who had woken up early this morning for their housework. Three of the old women in particular were speaking exceptionally loud.

"Another hunt?"

"There was a youkai attack this morning. I heard it from one of them."

"We're lucky to have hunters in our city! No youkai can get away!"

"And now you call our village a city..."

"Is it not? Since the army came here a year ago, our little village is just a figment of the past!"

"Happy?"

"Why not? The young ones stay, for there's work. The financial problems are gone..."

"This army thing sucks our blood in taxes..."

"Hey! They're _protecting_ us!"

"Have you ever seen a soldier around here? The only ones who hunt the youkai are _our own hunters_! Even if they take our money, they ask much less of us than the army!"

"Oh, please! They're doing it for money, too! It's not like they're saints!"

"I didn't say they were! But, they are of this place; they love this place because it's their _home_! The army is entirely made up of strangers!"

"Not all of them! Many of our people got work in the army!"

"Like Yuki-kun! I'm so happy for that boy!"

"He says that there's a lot of corruption in the army."

"Oh, like just everywhere else! Stop glaring at me, can you tell me this is not true?"

"Stop it you two! Look who has come for hunting!"

"Eh?" The other two turned and the whispers in the square became louder, the hunters even began to chime in.

Asai was heading to the group of the hunters, cool, calm, and collected. The usual look of stoicism firmly locked on his face.

"Asai-kun! He's our best hunter! Now the youkai are surely doomed!"

"I wonder whether he was offered this job or if he has taken it by his own volition..."

"Yeah, he goes to every hunting! Even if there is no payment at all!"

"That's to be expected. I mean, after what the youkai did to his parents..."

That brought a heavy silence that weighted heavily on the trio. Suddenly the women spotted a group of giggling teenage girls pointing and whispering at Asai.

"And here comes the fan club..." One sighed audibly.

"Well, I'm not surprised in the least. Asai is a very handsome young man!"

"So handsome that the usually sleepy teens wake up at five o'clock in the morning just to see him…"

"Too bad he's so anti-social. He doesn't even pay attention at all."

"Well, I guess it still hurts..."

"Even if both the siblings hadn't had such a good relationship with their parents because of their ...powers..."

"Hold your tongue."

"Eek!" The old woman, who was on the side of the army gasped. Asai had turned to them, catching the chat the two women had. He was glaring at them—his usual icy stare seemed colder, sending shivers down their spines.

He _was _handsome. He had brown hair with blond tips like his sister, long to between his shoulder blades, cut in so many layers that his hairstyle was reminiscent of a lion's mane. His eyes were sky-blue, and large, for he was just eighteen years old, but they were strict and stoic like those of someone far older. His face was long, young and flawless. He was tall for his age; about five-eleven and he had a well-built body, muscular and strong.

He had his hunting clothes on; on top of a sleeveless, castaway white shirt he was wearing a black, leather vest, with black gloves on his hands. His black leather trousers had many belts around the waist: one black to hold his trousers and two other lower, brown crossed in an 'X' style, in front of his hips. From them hung two heavy, black handguns with long barrels. Down the sides of his legs were belt clasps above zippers.

Still, the characteristic everyone noted most was a scar between his eyebrows, from the right to the left. Thus, no wonder why he was so popular. He was handsome, young, cool, and that scar of his added a masculine charm.

But Asai was not the type of taking care of his image. The haircut was made by accidents, from his fights with youkai that had knives and missed his head, thus cutting his hair. The clothes belonged to his father once, for he had been a kind of...playboy when he was young. And the scar was...

In contrast to the old women, the group of girls squeaked, delighted that their idol was before them.

**"Asai-kun! Best of luck to you! Beat them up!"** To Asai's mind, they were some kind of stupid cheerleaders. ((A/N: Sorry to any cheerleader out there! Don't take it personally!)) He frowned and turned again to walk to the hunters.

The old women sweated.

"And that's how it goes every time…"

"Phew! That was close!"

"It would have served you right if he had 'taken care of' you for what you said!"

"You speak like a hunter!"

"Because my husband is one...and this is his last hunting!" The old woman looked at the group of hunters and waved at one of the elders. He waved back.

* * *

"So, it's your last hunting today, isn't it Arouji-san?" Asked a middle-aged man to other who had waved to the woman. 

"Yes, Sido-san. I'm retiring. Even if I've been doing this job for only a year, I'm still much too old to keep it up. I'll go back to my cornfields."

"Good for you. Don't forget to pass by sometimes and bring us some bread!" Laughed Sido.

"No kidding. Are you still going?"

"I'm the leader. I can't quit so easily." Sido lit his cigar grinning. He was a man in his late forties, with short, blond hair, narrow green eyes and a stubbly face full of scars. He was had on goggles that made him look like a pilot and clothing similar to Asai's, the only difference being that they weren't leather. His jacket was dark brown and his blue jeans ragtag. He took a deep drag from his cigar. He was a chain-smoker and usually smelled of his Lucky Strikes.

"Hey, hey! Look who's coming!" Arouji saw Asai coming towards them.

"I should have known." Murmured Sido under his breath. "Hey, Asai-kun, you're late!" Sido grinned as much as his cigar filled mouth allowed.

"Lay off." Asai was still frowning.

"Oh-ho! Bad mood today! What's up? Is it your fucking fan club again?"

"..." Asai looked away.

"Leave the boy alone, Sido-san. Let's get to work now that we have gathered all together."

"You should have gone a long time ago. They might escape." Asai's cold tone made the others turn to him with curious looks.

"Geez, what a freakin' workaholic!" Sido raised an eyebrow. Asai glared.

"Look kid, we have all lost precious persons to the youkai, but we're not that obsessed! Take it easy! You're worrying Heikki-chan, you know." Arouji spoke like a father to him. That softened Asai's face a bit. The others were looking curiously once again.

In the end, Sido grinned. "A perfect killing machine for youkai, a cute onii-chan for his sis! No wonder why the girls have a damn crush on you! Good job, kid!"

Asai looked at him out the corner of his eye. "If you stop your stupid jokes, we will be able to leave."

"Whoa! Okay, man! Relax!" Sido walked away from the group of hunters to face them all.

Asai waited with his arms crossed for Sido to give the instructions.

"Okay, assholes! Asai will lead us to their trails..."

"...Like always..." Whispered one to his man next to him. The other shook his head.

"...There are five youkai! Holding only knives!"

"...Which means that Asai will kill them, because his handguns are long-range weapons..."

In the meantime, Asai's eyes widened in shock. _'The hell? An...existence? Here?' _he turned to locate the source of the waves giving him this familiar feeling. What he saw was the statue. He looked at it from the top to the bottom, with his hands ready to draw his guns.

It was an equestrian statue: a man on his horse, holding a long lance. The horse was on its hind feet. The only thing that was unusual on this statue was the fact that the man had no head. 'The Headless Horse Rider' some people called it, jokingly. It was very large and made of copper. It was odd, but somehow it had never tarnished. Not even a bit.

_'This statue was in the square since this village was first built. The elders said that it was here even before and the village was built around it, but I never felt anything like an existence from it... from inside of it!'_ Asai was examining the statue with his once blue eyes, now so bright milky-blue, that they were almost white.

"Hey, check Asai out." One hunter whispered to another.

"What's he doing?"

"See his eyes? Means that his powers are working."

"Wha—here?" the other murmured.

"...And the price is 50,000 yen! (A/N: Or whatever they have in Shangri-La, sue me, I don't know.) Any questions?" Sido finished talking. No one said a word. "Okay then! Asai! Get to work!" Everyone turned where Asai was, only to see he had his back turned to them. He was looking at the statue.

"Asai! Are you even listening, dammit?" Sido had a vein throbbing on his forehead. Asai turned to them, a bit disturbed.

"What's wrong, son?" Arouji was concerned.

"Nothing." Asai's eyes turned into his usual sky-blue colour. "Let's move." Everyone followed him.

"**HEY! **I'm the leader here!" Barked Sido. No one paid attention. "HEY! GUYS! ARE YOU LISTENING? **HEEYYY!**"

The square emptied with a furious Sido still yelling behind.

"Ah…that happens every time as well..." Sighed one of the women.

"Yup."

**"ASAI-KUN IS SOOOO COOL!"** Asai's fun club yelled. The women sweated.

* * *

"I... I see. I see..." started Heikki, staring at the tarot card in front of her on the table. 

"You...you see. You see...? What do you see, Heikki-chan? C'mon, quit these tricks with me! Act like this only with your customers!" Said Pan anxiously.

"I never lie to anyone, Pan-obasan! You know that!" Said Heikki, offended.

"Yeah, whatever. What do you see, now?" She looked at the tarot cards.

"I see... youkai..." Said Heikki weakly.

Pan looked at her. "Youkai?"

"Y-yes. One youkai. Only one. He is travelling... here." Heikki's first tarot card was the Devil. She picked the second. "Ow..." she murmured.

"What?"

"It's... the Fool. That means that the youkai that is coming will bring a new life." Heikki muttered skeptically.

"What does this mean? The youkai is a she and pregnant, or something?" Pan raised an eyebrow.

"No. Let me see." Heikki turned the third card. "Ah..." She looked Pan with glimmering eyes.

"What is it?" asked Pan. She had never seen Heikki like this. Heikki showed the card to Pan.

"The Tower."

Pan blinked. "Okay, now I don't get a thing!" She sighed and stood. "I'll make us some breakfast with tea, as long as you see the rest of the cards." She went to the kitchen. Heikki was looking the tarot card with a look that hid... hope.

_'The Tower Card. This means salvation. And the fourth is...'_ she picked up the fourth and gasped. "PAN-OBASAN! Come here!" she yelled.

Pan came from the kitchen holding a small pan ((A/N: Pan holds a pan? Well, you got the message!)) "What is it? What was the fourth card?" she asked.

"The... the Chariot Card!" Heikki was stunned.

Pan blinked again. "Eh?"

"Pan-obasan! According to the cards, the youkai that will come will save us from the authority that is placed over us! From the army! The one who will save us will be a youkai that will discover a new existence in our village!" Heikki was somehow... happy to say all this.

Pan walked close to her and placed a hand over her forehead. "Heikki, are you all right? I'm starting to think that you've got a fever! Are you telling me that a youkai will kick the army away from here?" She took her hand and looked the young medium with disbelief.

"Yes! I know that this sounds impossible..." She added looking at Pan's expression. "... But I'm sure that this is it! The army shall leave, forced by a youkai!"

"Who's that youkai?"

* * *

"**I'M HUUUNNGRYYYY!**" Lirin yelled to the vacant surroundings and fell down on her back, under a tree with bare roots. "I'm more sleepy, though... nyaaaa!" She yawned and curled on her left side. She saw the sun coming out from the horizon. 

"Kya! It's morning already?" She rose to a sitting position and scratched the back of her head. "Oh, well. It's not like Lirin can sleep with that voice in her head!" She put her index fingers in her pointy ears.

Lirin had been travelling all the way out of the savannah for three days and reached the forest area one day ago. All that time the 'calling', as she was describing it, was getting louder and louder. It was a sign that she was getting closer and closer.

"WILL YA STOP ALREADY? IT'S ANNOYING, DAMMIT!" She barked to... no one in particular. She fell on her back again. Suddenly she sniffed. Eyes still closed, she rose sniffing, as if a scent was attracting her like a magnet.

"Breakfast with tea..." She murmured with bliss. "Lirin's fav! Yay!" Her sniffing became a deep, loud breath. "Over there!" She pointed a spot in the forest. She started to run as if wolves were chasing her and soon the forest ended. Right after it, there was a long, smooth descent, only with grass and after that there were houses.

"A town! Lirin's saved!" She yelled and started to run towards the house that was closer than the rest.

* * *

"Thank you for the company, Pan-obasan! And for the breakfast!" 

"No, I thank you for reading our fate! Truly cool, I must say." Pan had the air of a knowing-all person.

Heikki giggled uneasily. "Oh, Pan-obasan! I swear, that's _really_ what the cards said!"

"Yeah, whatever!" Pan waved her hand.

No one realised that someone was running towards the house. Lirin, to be more precise. She was running down the hill behind the house while Heikki and Pan were to the front.

Pan started to walk away.

Lirin was running.

Heikki waved goodbye to Pan.

Lirin was running.

Heikki closed the door behind her.

Lirin reached the house and quickly got to the front.

"Eh? Oh, no! Pan-obasan forgot her staff!" yelled Heikki looking at the dining table. She grasped the staff and turned to the door.

Lirin reached the front door and opened her mouth to speak.

The door opened firmly.

_**TWACK!**_

**"OUUUUUCH!" **

"Huh?" Heikki stared at the girl whom she had hit from opening the door and who now was laying on the ground unconscious. "Wha—a youkai?" she blinked.

To be continued...

* * *

I'm evil! CLIFFHANGER!!! 

Right! Let's see, I'm not getting reviews, which means that my story is bad? What should I do? Delete it or turn it into another yaoi fic? Will you love me more? (Growls)

GOD REVIEW! I'M DYING OUT HERE!

Greece out! (If not forever...)


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